Aftermath
by A Beautiful Contradiction
Summary: Okay... The gang goes on a semester trip to the U.S., about to celebrate the one year anniversiary of Xana's defeat... or so they think... the gang meets new friends, takes part in tournaments, and... well, you'll just have to read to find out... R&R!
1. Bright Kids, Dark Times

Hey guys! I'm baaaaaaaaccccckkkkk!!!!! So now that I'm back in the writing world, it feels great to be back! Schools being so evil to me... I'm not a trainer anymore because they forced me... evil demon coaches... I've had like 5 projects already and dual credit is harder than I thought... Updating will be slow, so bear with me!!! It's not that I've forgotten about you guys, it's just that my mind will be occupied by things that will determine whether or not I can get on the comp. to update... This story may be edited, so look out for that... Ok, enjoy the 1st chappie of Aftermath!

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Punch. Block. Kick. Jab. Back-flip. The match seemed to go on forever as the two teens continued the fight. The sandy blonde ducked as the dark haired girl tried to connect a right jab. The blonde then stuck out a leg and swung it, causing the other girls' legs to suddenly switch places with her upper body. She landed on her back with a thud, a small grunt escaping her lips. The blonde jumped up to her feet, and, using her momentum to carry her, brought her fist towards the other girl's face. Her opponent saw this and rolled away to the side just before her hand hit the ground. The blonde winced and grunted as her hand made a small dent in the semi-soft ground. She looked over to where the other was just as a swift kick connected with her stomach, lifting her off the ground a few feet. The black haired girl stood triumphantly smirking to herself, thinking she had won, and turned to go sit under a tree. The blonde stood up slowly as to not give herself away to the other. She swiftly but silently crept up behind her opponent who didn't realize she was being stalked until it was too late. The blonde wrapped her arms up and under the others, pulling her into a firm lock. The taller girl struggled, but the blonde held her grip, tightening her grip little by little. With one final effort, the taller girl fell to her knees.

"Okay okay!!! I give!!" The blonde let go and laughed tiredly, moving and sitting down slowly on the grass, while the other got on hands and knees and crawled to her original destination.

"Kiki, you have to work on not letting your guard down. I pulled my kick, but I could tell that it still did some damage." The black haired girl said to the sandy blonde.

"I could say the same thing. Your weakness, though, is that you assume too much. Plus, you need to learn how to break the locks I put you into." There was a small silence as the two girls caught their breath. The silence was broken suddenly by the presence of 2 male voices.

"Kiki!"

"Yumi!" The 2 boys ran up to them, surprised looks on their faces.

"What happened? You look like you just got the crap beat outta you." The 2 girls eyed him sarcastically.

"No Odd, we went and got makeovers." The boys' faces went blank, and there was a small silence. Kiki rolled her eyes.

"That was called sarcasm; and we were sparring with each other." Realization dawned on the boys, and the brunette mouthed an 'oh' to Yumi. The blonde, on the other hand, ran up to Kiki and sat down beside her, pulling her into a gentle hug.

"Are you okay?" Kiki leaned on the blonde's shoulder, closing her eyes and smiling peacefully.

"I'm fine Odd. Me and Yumi just finished a sparring match." Odd answered with a small hum and put his head on hers. Ulrich rolled his eyes and sat down by Yumi.

"Who won Yumi?"

"She did." The girl said lazily pointing to Kiki. The sandy blonde smirked and snuggled closer to Odd.

"That's my girl." The blonde boy said, bringing smirks and chuckles to the others. Yumi stood up slowly and supported her left arm with her right, slouching to the side as she did so.

"I'm off to clean up and pack. I can't wait until Friday!" Yumi said excitedly. Ulrich stood, followed shortly after by Odd and Kiki. The 4 teens walked up to their rooms, Ulrich and Odd going to theirs, and Yumi and Kiki walking further to theirs. The girls grabbed their bathroom stuff and walked down to the girls' showers. Each talked about how they messed up and the faults of the other. After they cleaned up, they dressed and went back up to their dorm room.

"What do you think we'll get do while we're there? In fact, where are we going to go first?" Yumi asked her roomie as they reached their dorm room.

"Well, I think we're landing in Washington D.C. first. After that, I'm not sure." The blonde answered.

"Anyway, we'd better pack mostly for cold weather I don't think we'll be spending much time in warm places."

"We will, though, be spending a while in southern Florida, and that's warm pretty much all year." Kiki nodded as they entered their room and began to pack. Odd came in a while later with a checklist and suitcase in hand. He set down the suitcase and handed the checklist to Yumi.

"Is that everything I'm gonna need?" Yumi looked at the list, opened his suitcase, and looked back up at him with sarcastic eyes.

"You have got to be kidding me, Odd. Unless you're packing for the plane ride there, you have to get some more clothes." Kiki looked at his suitcase, stunned at its contents. Inside were numerous amounts of snacks and only enough clothes for a week at the most. The sandy blonde frowned at him, put everything aside, grabbed her wallet and cell phone. She walked towards the door, hooking her arm through Odd's folded one, pulling him out of the room. Yumi rolled her eyes and went back to packing.

"C'mon Odd, we're going to get you some clothes." Odd turned to Yumi and slyly smiled before grabbing the door and closing it. Silence came upon the room until Yumi decided to turn on the radio. As she did, she didn't notice the door knob starting to turn slowly. She found her favorite station and went back to packing her bags, still not taking notice of the door that opened slowly. The figure started to hear a squeak coming from the door, stopped and took out an oil tube, lubricating the door so it wouldn't alert Yumi of his presence. Once he was done, he continued to open the door, then finally entered her room when it was open enough. Yumi heard a slight shuffle coming from behind her, then whipped around sharply expecting to see someone she knew. All she saw was a slightly open door. She walked over to it and closed it, locking it behind her. A slight noise from behind her caught her attention, and she started to turn, only to be pushed and held still facing the door.

"You let your guard down too easily, my dear..." He said grabbing her wrist and twisting it behind her back, causing Yumi to emit a small cry of pain. Her attacker then pulled Yumi's pocket knife out of her pocket and cut the back of her shirt open. He clicked the knife closed and put it in his back pocket. He then used the free hand to slide it delicately over Yumi's back, admiring her smooth, silky skin. Yumi shivered as the cold hand ran down her back, and, anticipating the worst, started to tear up. He then yanked her backwards, half dragging her to her bed. Just as he was about to finish what he started with her shirt, a knock came from the door. He cursed under his breath and muttered to Yumi.

"I'll be back, my dear. If you give away any information about me..." He said in a dark voice, moving closer to her so his face was right next to her ear.

"I'll kill you..." He pulled back, took out some duct tape and tied her hands and feet. Another knock came from the door and the attacker became nervous when a voice followed it.

"Yumi? Are you there?" The man turned from her to the door and back to her again.

"Tell him to go away." Yumi nodded out of fear and turned towards the door, trying her best not to yell out to Ulrich for help.

"Ulrich, I'm sorry, but I don't wanna talk right now... so go away." Her voice faltered in almost every word, much to her attacker's dismay. Ulrich became suspicious and didn't move from his spot in front of her door.

"What's wrong? Are you okay? Yumi, answer me." No answer came though as the attacker pulled a strip of tape out and put it over Yumi's mouth, silencing her. He then walked over to the window, opened it quietly, and stopped, as if talking to himself about some unknown matter. He then turned back to Yumi and walked over to her. He knelt down beside her and took out her pocket knife. Yumi's eyes widened as he clicked it open and placed the edge at Yumi's throat. The intruder grinned when her breathing shortened, signaling her fear to him.

"I'll be back my dear. Wait for me." He moved the blade from her neck to her left cheek and made a long cut. Yumi inhaled sharply and squeezed her eyes shut, tears leaking through freely. Ulrich, by this time, stood banging his fist against the door, trying to get Yumi to open it.

"Yumi, open up! You're staring to worry me. If you don't open up, I'm gonna kick down this door!" He practically yelled, getting into a fighting stance. Odd, Kiki, Jeremie and Aelita walked into the hallway just in time to see Ulrich get into the stance.

"Ulrich, what're you doing?" Kiki asked, confusion spread on her face. Ulrich stayed where he was but turned his head to look at the others.

"Something's wrong. Yumi's not answering me. I'm about to bust open the door." Ulrich faced the door and let fly a strong kick. The door flew open and Ulrich gasped at what he saw. Her window was open, a gentle breeze catching the curtains. Her desk was a mess; various papers, pens, and supplies strewn across the floor and desk. Ulrich turned his head sharply to the left, his eyes now focusing on a gagged and bound Yumi, tears still flowing freely from her trauma. Ulrich rushed from his place in the door to her side in 1 second flat, causing the others, who had stood a good distance away from the door, to run to the door. Yumi closed her eyes, turning her head away from him; half in shame, and the other half because she didn't want him to see her cut. Kiki made it first to the door and froze upon gazing at the room. Odd stopped right before running into her, but Jeremie and Aelita ran into him, forming a sandwich of people. Odd peeked in the room and got wide eyed, realizing why Kiki froze in her spot. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, waking her from her trance. She ran to Yumi's other side and noticed the torn shirt. She got up and told Aelita, who turned to Jeremie and Odd and told them to go. They left reluctantly to Jeremie's room, each mumbling to the other, trying to find out what happened. The girls moved back to Yumi's side, noticing the duct tape on her hands, feet, and mouth. Kiki picked up the pocket knife on the floor next to her, noticing the faint traces of blood on the edge of the blade. She dismissed the thought for the moment and turned her attention back to Yumi. She used the knife to cut the tape, being extremely careful not to cut Yumi's leg or hand. Once she could get her hands out from behind her, Yumi took the liberty of taking the tape off herself, wincing as the tape came agonizingly slow over her wrists. Ulrich didn't bother with the knife and unraveled it quickly so she could move her feet around. Once Yumi got the tape off her wrists, she took the tape off her mouth, leaving a bright red mark on her face where the tape had been placed. Once she was completely free, Aelita grabbed a blanket and placed it over her shoulders, warming her to ease the shivering. Ulrich pulled her into a tight embrace, his strong arms comforting Yumi as she sobbed into his shoulder. Kiki gently tapped Ulrich on the shoulder, causing him to turn to her, and mouthed a 'what?' to her. She pointed to Yumi and mouthed that she was tired and needed rest. Ulrich nodded reluctantly and gently pulled Yumi away from him, lifting her head to catch her gaze with his own. Yumi looked at him through tear stained eyes, soft whimpers escaping her lips every so often.

"Yumi, I need you to get some rest. I have to go now, but Kiki and Aelita are gonna be here in case you need anything, okay?" Yumi nodded solemnly and Ulrich stood up slowly, lightly squeezing her hand before letting go. After he left, silence filled the room as Aelita stood up and began to straighten up the room. Kiki still sat by Yumi, uneasy silence between them. The blonde turned to Yumi and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay now Yumi. Everything's okay now; no one's here except me and Aelita. Let me see your back to make sure you're okay." Yumi reluctantly obeyed, slid the cover off her and turned so her back was facing Kiki. The sandy blonde pulled the tattered clothing to the side, revealing Yumi's back. The dark haired girl shivered when Kiki looked at her back; partly because of cold, and partly because of shame and fear. Kiki didn't linger and did a quick assessment, deciding that her back was fine. She replaced the blanket over her shoulders and stood up, walking over to the closet. Kiki pulled out a sleeveless black turtleneck and walked back over to Yumi. Yumi accepted it and changed shirts quickly. Once the shirt was on, Yumi brushed back her hair on the left side, not realizing that she smeared the blood on her cheek. Aelita turned to Yumi and gasped when she saw the red liquid on her hand.

"Yumi, you're bleeding!" Kiki shot around to look at Yumi's hand, then her cheek. She turned to the door and walked out to Jeremie's room and knocked on the door. Ulrich answered the door, concern still evident on his face.

"How's Yumi doing?"

"She's fine Ulrich; I need Jeremie's medical kit though." This didn't sit too well with Ulrich.

"What?! What happened?"

"Calm down Ulrich, she just has a cut that needs a band-aid." Jeremie walked up behind Ulrich and stuck the kit through to her.

"Tell her we all said hi." Kiki nodded, grabbed the kit and went back to the room.

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Yumigirl06: Woot!!! That's it! Please review and tell me how you like it! Lot's of stuff will be referenced from my first story, The Ties That Bind, so you must read that if you wish to understand most of the stuff here...

Ulrich: Sooooo....... when are we going to the U.S.?

Yumi: .................glares at Ulrich

Ulrich: What?!

Yumi walks away still scowling while Ulrich runs after her

Ulrich: Yumi wait! What'd I do? Yumi!

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	2. Confessions and The Lounge

Yumigirl06: Well, guys, I'm updating... I'm really sorry about the big gap, but Region tests for band and schoolwork have been tearing me apart...

Odd: Excuses, excuses...

Kiki: Seriously... I have been!!!

Jeremie: So, what's happening in this chappie?

Kiki: You'll just have to wait and read to find out...

Jeremie: Enough talk; must read story now!

Kiki: Dude, don't worry, you'll get to read it...

Vicky: Hmm... Where is she?

Angie: I don't know... We gotta be quiet though so she doesn't hear us...

Yumi, Ulrich, Jeremie, Odd, Aelita: ????

Kiki: Oh, crap... I gtg guys...

Ulrich: Who're they?

Kiki: They're after me... I owe them some... stuff.... Gotta run!

Vicky: Hey! There she is!!! C'mon Angie!!! After her!!

Angie: Hold on.... runs and grabs Kiki's bat Okay! I'm ready!!!

Vicky: Alright! She can't escape now!!!

Kiki: GAH!!! Runs away leaving group in wonder.

Kiki walked into the room with the first aid kit. Yumi was still in the same position as she was left, and Aelita was finishing the cleaning of the room. A ring from the phone in the room startled a silent room and Aelita reached across the desk to answer it. It was Ulrich, and he wanted to talk to Kiki. Kiki picked up the receiver and spoke into it.

"Ulrich?"

"Hey Kiki. I'm going to talk to the principal about this. The school should be guarded until her attacker is caught. We'll be gone, but I don't want anyone else left behind to suffer the same fate or worse."

"Why don't you bring him here to our room? Yumi can tell him herself."

"I don't think Yumi's ready to talk."

"She needs to. And Ulrich," She said as she walked out of the room so Yumi couldn't hear.

"I think you should bring her parents and the police too..."

"What?! Are you crazy? Her parents will take her back to their house and she won't be allowed to come back to the school!"

"Well, what would you rather have? Her stay here and take the chance of it happening again? Possibly worse than before? What do you want for her Ulrich?"

"The best."

"Then you'll have to let her choose what's best for her, not what you think is best. Whatever she or her parents choose is the best for her, that's what you'll have to be okay with; even if you don't like it. Okay?"

"I guess. I'll be there in about half an hour with everyone. I'll call her parents first and explain as they're coming up here. Tell Yumi they're coming."

"Okay. See you later Ulrich,"

"Bye Kiki." The blonde hung up the phone and walked back into the room. Yumi looked at the window, then back at Kiki.

"What did he say?" Kiki sat down beside Yumi.

"Well, I talked to him and we both decided that we should notify someone about this. He's calling your parents as we speak and getting the principal and police. They'll be here in about half an hour." Yumi's onyx eyes became wide, then went normal and looked down at the floor. She sighed heavily and looked back at Kiki, tears welling up inside out of shame. She was scared of what her parents would say or do when she told them. Kiki put a comforting arm around Yumi's shoulders and put her head on her shoulder.

"Wanna talk about it? It might be easier after you've already told someone." Yumi nodded and Kiki sat up to face her. Aelita walked over to the bed and sat down on the other side of Yumi. Yumi took another deep breath and began her story.

"After you left Kiki, I went about my way packing for the trip Friday. He door was closed, so I thought I was safe. A few minutes later, I heard a shuffle. Turned, but all I saw was a slightly opened door. I went to close it, then heard a noise behind me." Yumi shuddered when she said this, and Kiki and Aelita gave her a moment to regain her composure.

"Then, as I was turning around, someone pushed me hard against the door and held me there. He had a deep voice and talked quietly. He felt around for my pocket knife and cut the back of my shirt open. I... thought he was going to rape me... so I started to cry... and he grabbed my wrist and pulled it behind my back and dragged me to my bed. Then the next thing I heard was Ulrich's voice asking to talk to me. The guy told me to tell him to go away, and I tried to so he wouldn't hurt me. Ulrich was persistent though and kept at it, causing the guy to leave through the window. He tied me up with the duct tape and went out the window. Then Ulrich broke down the door and you guys came..." She said trailing off. Just as Aelita was about to say something, the door opened. Kiki turned to face the door, her hands ready to fly at will. A hand shot out from behind the door, signaling they were friendly, and Ulrich opened the rest of the door to reveal Yumi's parents. Yumi's mom rushed to Yumi's side, pulling her into a tight hug. Her dad closed the door behind him and went to her other side. Ulrich kept his distance from her dad, unsure of what he would say or do. Aelita mouthed to Kiki that she was going to see Jeremie and left the room. Yumi's mom pulled away from the hug and started asking Yumi all these questions about what happened. Yumi tried her best to answer them, but broke down halfway through explaining what happened. Kiki took over and told them what Yumi had told her earlier. The principal came in with the police a few minutes later, and the cops started to ask the same questions over again, getting a description of the attacker. The police asked Ulrich and Kiki to leave, which they did reluctantly. Yumi wanted them to stay and be her support, but her parents overruled her and out they went. Kiki wanted to stay and wait for them, but Ulrich wanted to go to the park to think. Kiki said she'd go with him and they went to the park. After several minutes of silence, Ulrich broke the silence.

"I should've come sooner. None of this would've happened if I would've gone there sooner."

"You can't blame yourself for this Ulrich. It's not your fault."

"I would've been able to protect her. He wouldn't have been able to lay a hand on her. I should've been there for her, but it's too late. I can't even comfort her now. Her dad's probably not gonna let me even see her ever again."

"Don't say that. If anything she won't want to talk for a while. I don't think her dad will want her to stop seeing you because someone else did something to her." As they continued walking, silence fell on them once again. It was like this way for about 10 minutes until a faint call could be heard, and it was getting louder.

"Ulrich! Kiki!"

"You heard that Kiki?"

"Yeah. It sounds like Odd." Kiki turned around to see Odd running as fast as he could up to them. Ulrich and Kiki cold tell his urgency and ran up to him.

"Guys I'm glad I found you. It's Yumi."

"What happened?" Ulrich asked worriedly.

"She an away looking for you or Kiki. No one knows where she went and we're all worried for her. Can you help us?"

"Of course. Ulrich, you and Odd go look around here. I'm going to look in a place she could be. If I find her, I'll call you."

"Okay. See you later!" They called as they ran away deeper in the forest. Kiki turned in the opposite direction and ran for the one place she knew that Yumi would go when she needed to find her to talk to or if she needed some quiet. After a few close calls with Yumi's parents and the police, Kiki made it to the place. She looked around, making sure no one was there and pulled out a heavy chain leading to a trap door. She opened the door slowly and went down into her secret lounge. This place had everything one could use to live in here, from sinks, to a fridge, to a bathroom, to a kitchen. It was brightly decorated and provided a comfortable atmosphere of peace. Yumi was usually in the bedroom when she wanted to be alone and on the couch when she wanted to talk. She looked around the whole place and finally found Yumi in the bathroom, crying her eyes out. Kiki walked u to Yumi and pulled her to her feet. Yumi's eyes were red and puffy, signaling she had been crying for a while.

"Yumi, you know that you shouldn't have run away from the police and your parents. They wanna help you."

"Yeah, they do. They wanna help me by taking me out of school and moving me to another one."

"What?!"

"Yeah. They want me to be taken out before the trip so I can't go. They want to make sure that I'll be here so they can keep an eye on me."

"Have you told them you don't want to?"

"Yes, but they didn't wanna listen to me."

"Maybe we can help. I told Ulrich I'd call him if I found you. I'll tell him to come here and we'll talk." She said as she pulled out her cell phone. Yumi became nervous as Kiki pressed the speed dial button to call him.

'Will he tell my parents? I don't want to go back to them... not after that interrogation' Yumi stood up and walked into the bedroom, closed the door behind her and locked it. Kiki noticed this, and as the door locked, Ulrich picked up.

"Did you find her?"

"Yeah, she's in the lounge."

"Lounge?"

"Oh yeah, I didn't tell you guys this, but I have my own little underground lounge that I made myself. Yumi and I come here sometimes to talk about school, boys, to think, whatever."

"Do the others know about this thing?"

"None of the guys know, so lease don't tell them... Go to the woods. Look for various scratches on the trees; each notch represents ten steps and the arrow tells which way to go. Half a notch means half the number of steps."

"Okay, I'll call if I need any help. How's Yumi?"

"She went into another room when I dialed you... I don't know what's wrong, but I'll try and find out."

"Okay, see you later." A click could be heard from the other side and Ulrich wasted no time in starting for the forest. Kiki hung up her phone and turned to the bedroom door. She knocked softly and listened carefully.

"Yumi? Are you there?" The door opened slightly and Yumi's teary face appeared through the crack in the door.

"What'd he say?"

"He's on his way. I gave him directions to the lounge."

"Is he going to take me back to my parents?"

"I don't know. He wanted to know how you were, and I told him I wish I knew. Are you scared he'll take you back?"

"Yeah. I don't want to go back"

"Maybe he doesn't want to take you back. We'll see when he gets here. For now, let's watch some TV." The girls went into the kitchen and fixed some snacks, then went to the living room to watch TV. Half an hour later, a noise above them could be heard. Another creaking noise happened after that, and Ulrich appeared walking down the steps to the lounge.

Kiki: So yeah guys, that was my update... now there won't be one for like, ever again!!! For real, I'm sorry for the... oh, 2 month no-updating period, but I still love youse guys!!!!!


	3. Oh, The Choices We Make

Yumigirl06: Okay guys, here it is!! Chapter 3 of Aftermath!!

Crowd: YEAH!!!!!!

Yumigirl06: Thank you, thank you! You like me, you really like me!

Vicky: When's she gonna wake up?

Angie: I don't know; for a while I guess...

Vicky: Well, with that hit you gave her with that bat, I wouldn't be surprised if she was out for the rest of the day....

Angie sweat-drops.

Angie: Oh.... Right.... I guess I should've used something else that would only stun her, not knock her out...

Vicky: Well, genius, when'd you figure that one out?

Kiki: Huh? What happened? OW!! My head! Odd? Where's Odd? Yumi? Aelita? Ulrich? Jeremy? Guys? Why do I get the strange feeling something isn't right here?

Angie: Because it's not right...

Vicky: Hush! We still have to get 'it' from her... you know.... The 'stuff'...

Angie: Oh yeah... I almost forgot...

Kiki: Who said that? Well? I guess...... no one's here..... Okay, I guess I'll tell you about the story. This will have to be kind short because I can't have access to the school computers all day everyday, so this'll have to do... but yeah, this'll be kind of a transition chapter anyways... The next chapter will be better, I promise!

Vicky: NOW!!!!

Kiki: What the? CRAP!!!!

Angie: Aiyaiyaiyaiyaiyaiyaiyai!!!!!!

Kiki: AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Kiki runs, leaving readers in wonder and slightly disturbed...

Yumi stood up and ran over to him. They caught each other in a sweet embrace and stayed like that for a couple of minutes. Ulrich pulled away and looked into Yumi's eyes.

"Yumi, you have to go back." She pulled away from him and stepped back several steps.

"No. I don't want to go back. You know that they'll make me move back in with them if I go back. We might move if I go."

"Maybe not. If I talk to them, maybe they'll let you stay."

"I guess, but only if you two will be there with me when I go..." Kiki walked up to her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Of course we'll be there... I won't let my best friend g without a fight." Ulrich nodded.

"That's right Yumi. Now let's go. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we'll get to go back."

"Okay." Yumi, Ulrich and Kiki left the lounge and headed back towards the dorm room, where Odd, Aelita and Jeremy were rendezvousing with them. Ulrich called Odd and the others and told them to meet him in the room where Yumi's parents and the principal were waiting for them. When they met up with each other, Odd hugged Yumi, giving her a sense of protecting comfort that a big bother would give. Aelita and Jeremy each gave 'good luck's to Yumi and the others as they walked up to the door. Kiki hugged Odd tightly and drew strength from him. They pulled away reluctantly and Odd kissed Kiki on the cheek. A slight blush came over her face and Odd slyly grinned at her. Ulrich went up behind Yumi and hugged her from behind.

"It'll be fine, I promise."

"I really hope so." Kiki walked up to the other two and put a hand on Yumi's shoulder.

"You ready?" Yumi sighed.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Ulrich let go of her and stood at her right side, Kiki at her left. She looked at the door in front of her with fear and anger. That would be the door that she would have to go through to face her parents, something she was very capable of, but didn't want to do. With all the will power she had in the world, she slowly reached out and grasped the door handle. The knob slowly turned, and............

Yumigirl06: Sorry guys, I know how much you wanted a really long chapter, but the next one will be longer, I promise!

Vicky: Lies!!! It's all lies!!!

Kiki: Hush Vicky! That's not true! That's it! I've ran from you guys long enough!!

Kiki pulls out a plasma grenade and a bullet hose.

Kiki: Let's finish this......

Angie pulls out 2 plasma rifles and Vicky pulls out a plasma sword.

Both: Fine with us......


	4. Fights And Forgiveness

Yumigir06: Okay, for those who have been wondering who the heck Vicky and Angie are, I'll tell you... they are these 2 chicks at my school who are like, awesome! Spontaneous, coolie, and just down right wacky, they are the dynamic duo of the 10th grade! I'll miss them when I go after next year, but they'll continue the wackiness our class left behind in ways that we could've never thought of before! Now, with that said, time for the next chapter.... This chappie will also be in 1st person POV and contain a bit of a song... Broken by Seether featuring Amy Lee.... Yeah... ya know.... The best song ever!!!

Vicky: Aww... you said that about us?! I'm touched...

Angie: Sorry, that was me... I hit your leg with the gun...

Kiki: Well... okay... now, this chapter will be about.... Oh, wait I almost gave it away!! I can't do that, now can I?

Odd: Nope, you can't....

Kiki: ODD!!!!!!!!

Kiki runs and jumps on Odd, hugging him so hard he changes colors.

Odd: Can't...... breathe..... Kiki....... Stop......

Kiki: Whoops..... sorry Odd.... I missed you

Ulrich: Wow.... I don't think Yumi's ever done that to me before...

Yumi: Yes I have!

Odd: Yep, she has.

Jeremie: Can we get on with the chapter? I wanna know what happens to Yumi!

Yumi: Oh yeah.... I don't wanna leave.... Kiki, do I have to go?

Kiki: You'll see..... Either way I chose, you'll like it... I promise....

Angie: Rutabagas......

_I wanted you to know, that I love the way you laugh_

_I want to hold you high, and steal your pain away_

_I keep your photograph, and I know it serves me well_

_I want to hold you high, and steal your pain._

I sighed. A single tear of pain escaped from my eye. This kind of pain couldn't be seen though. No; this pain went much deeper than that. It hit her in the weakest point of her; her heart. This was not your average hurt. This was the one thing every girl dreams would not happen; the thing that would make even the strongest girl crumple to her knees. It would turn her world to ice and cause her to turn all forms of love to anyone else off. The pain: rejection. The hurt twisted my heart into a pretzel and then from there into a double helix. She winced as sweet memories of her and Ulrich flew by her. Missions to Lyoko, lunches where he made her laugh, hurts where she would comfort him.

"Now he has someone else to comfort him..." I sighed. I looked out my window, watching him and Emily sit on the bench, deep in conversation. As I continued to watch, I saw Emily jump up silently and walk off. Then I realized why. Ulrich had been staring at me the whole time...

_'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome   
And I don't feel right when you're gone away _

You've gone away, you don't feel me, anymore

For several minutes there was no movement until Ulrich stood up, eyes still locked with mine. When I looked in his eyes, I saw the same pain and suffering that I was experiencing. He turned his head toward the door to the dorms and started walking. The broken eye contact brought me out of my trance, but despite my inner instinct to turn and walk around, I stood still, amazed by what I saw in his eyes. Despair, regret, longing, pain. Time seemed to fly, because just as quickly as I had seen him walk off, I heard a knock at the door. Startled by the sound of something other than my breathing, I made my way to the door. As I lay my and on the knob, half of me wished Ulrich was on the other side, and the other was telling me not to get my hopes up. I decided to test my thoughts and opened the door. I inhaled sharply and flung the door open

_The worst is over now and we can breathe again   
I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away   
There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight   
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain_

The half that told me not to get my hopes up was put in its place when I saw Ulrich there in the doorway. But there was something different about him. His eyes; they weren't their usual bright blue I had seen so many times. The pools of bright blue water, calm and sweet, had turned into a raging sea, full of waves and pain. I also noticed slight remnants of tear stains.

'Has he been crying?' I shifted on my feet and placed my hands at my sides.

"Ulrich? Are you okay?" He said nothing, plunging the room into another pit of silence. The silence Ulrich created was a cry for help that only I knew how to answer, but was afraid to.

"Is there anything I can do?" Ulrich said nothing but walked straight up to me. My heart skipped a few beats. It had only been a few months, but it had really done a lot for him. He was now at least 3 inches taller than me. I looked up at him; just inches from him. Seconds seemed like hours, and minutes felt like days as we stood there, eyes locked, each one reading the other like a book. It didn't take long for Ulrich to close the gap, that is , if he was going to. I didn't like it that he was so close without holding me like that, so I took a step back. That didn't help though, because Ulrich took a step towards me.

_'Cause I'm broken when I'm open   
And I don't feel like I am strong enough   
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome   
And I don't feel right when you're gone away_

Only this time, he didn't stop a few inches in front of me. He took me in his arms, holding me securely, and closed the gap between our faces. The next few seconds were pure bliss to me as I kept my arms at my sides, letting him know I wasn't going to stop him. He moved his hand from my waist to the back of my head, running his fingers through my ebony hair and intensifying the kiss at the same time. The scent of vanilla and strawberries overwhelmed him, and I could tell he was relaxing, because he loosened his grip slightly on my waist. He pulled away from me, reluctant to keep pouring his feelings out to me. I, on the other hand, had decided that I wanted to be closer to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. I lay my head on his chest listening to the beating of his heart, elated that I was able to be so close to the one I loved when I needed him the most.

"You can take me back" He said as he got on one knee, causing me to blush slightly.

"I've been such a jerk to you, but I realize the idiot I've been and now I'm here asking for your forgiveness. Emily was good to talk to, but she couldn't help me like you could. She just talked to me; you would let me cry on your shoulder and hold me. I miss that. I miss you. You're everything to me." The words hit a caring and sympathetic nerve in me, and I pulled him up, staring straight into his eyes, never once breaking his gaze.

"Ulrich, I have to admit what you did was confusing and a bad move on both our parts. I'm sorry it had to end up this way, and to be honest, I missed you more after this whole ordeal than I ever have. For the past month and a half I cried every night that you would come back, and now you have..." I stopped there, struggling to say what I realized had to be said. Ulrich caught this and pulled me closer to him.

_'Cause I'm broken when I'm open   
And I don't feel like I am strong enough   
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome   
And I don't feel right when you're gone away_

"Please... Don't say 'But'." He pleaded, his voice faltering a bit. I fought to back tears and looked away. I didn't want to tell him I wanted to wait, because I didn't. I looked back at him, tears flowing freely, and hugged him tightly. He held me softly but securely, which always made me feel safe when he did that. I cried softly onto his shoulder; partly of happiness, partly for taking him back so easily. But, it was easy when it came to him. He didn't apologize unless he really meant it. I could tell he was really sincere though, and that made it easier to forgive him.

"But, even with all the fighting we did and all the heartbreak I got, I still loved you. And I still do; I accept your apology."

_'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome   
And I don't feel right when you're gone away_

Ulrich sighed, and it looked like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He stared deep into my eyes, silently thanking me for taking him back. I smiled and put my head back on his chest. He kissed the top of my head and returned my hug, holding me like he would never see me again.

"I'm so sorry for fighting. It was all my fault that we started the fight in the first place. Next time, we sit down and work it out in a calm manner, deal?" I looked at him with forgiving eyes and nodded.

"Deal." He kissed me so softly, I felt like melting, and held me close to him.

"Yumi? You okay?" Kiki asked as Yumi stayed at the door holding the same knob and reminiscing about that time in the year between Xana's defeat and now. She looked back at Kiki and sighed.

"Yeah. I'm fine... just thinking." Ulrich put a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her.

"Ready?" Yumi sighed again.

"I guess..." She said turning the knob and opening the door.

Yumigirl06: Well? Yeah, I know, I'm so bad for not letting you guys find out what's gonna happen, but I can't resist to spice up the story any way I can, and I thought this was a good opportunity to...

Vicky: WHY?!?!?! Why don't you just do it already?

Kiki:........ Because I wanted to...

Angie: Evil, evil thing......

Odd: Hey now, that's my chick you talking to...

Ulrich: What're you gonna do Odd?

Odd: Oh, you'll see...

Ulrich: Sure..... I need a good laugh....

Odd: -.-......


	5. Confrontational Resolutions

Yumigirl06: OMG! It's been how long? I'm weally sowwy fow not getting another chappie up in a weally long time, but it's all good now, cause I think I have something... U.I.L. contest is Friday, so wish me luck!

Odd: You don't need luck cause it's all skill out there...

Kiki: Thanks Odd, but if you've heard the way I play, you'd cry from torture...

Yumi: Whatever Kiki! You're good on... what do you play again?

Kiki: The French Horn, and let's hope I do better than usual...

Ulrich: Bandnerds... oi...

Kiki: Oh well, I think I'll be okay... now on with the long awaited chapter...

* * *

The door opened slowly as Yumi, Ulrich and Kiki walked into the room containing the principal, a policeman and Yumi's parents. The principal stood up and walked up to the kids, blocking them from coming farther into the room.

"I'm sorry Ulrich and Kiki, but this is between Yumi, her parents, the police and myself." Yumi turned sharply to the principal.

"Sir, I want them to be here with me. The whole reason I ran away in the first place was so I could find them. If they go, I go too." The principal looked shockingly at Yumi, surprised by her comment. He looked toward Yumi's parents, asking them silently what should be done about this situation. Yumi's dad stood up and walked over to the trio.

"I'm sorry Yumi, but I'm afraid they can't be here." Yumi's eyes welled up again and she turned to run. Ulrich caught her and held her tightly, not letting her go at all. Yumi, sensing her defeat, fell into Ulrich's arms, crying softly. Yumi's dad glared at Ulrich, but Ulrich returned the glare just as roughly. He looked back at Yumi who was still softly crying against his shoulder.

"C'mon Yumi, you have to do this... for me." Yumi nodded against his shoulder and slowly turned back around to face her parents and the principal.

"They stay. I don't care what you say, they will stay." Yumi's mother stood up and walked over to her husband. She placed a hand on his shoulder calming him down.

"Whatever is said here today will not leave this room, understand?" She asked authoritatively. Ulrich and Kiki nodded and took a seat beside Yumi on the bed.

"Now, is the description and story you gave me true?" The policeman asked Yumi for what felt like the one-hundredth time. Yumi sighed heavily and nodded wearily.

"Yes, it's all like I said." Yumi's dad took over at that moment.

"I think she should be home schooled so we can keep an eye on her. This is traumatizing to her and I feel like she needs to rest." Yumi stood up sharply and clenched her fists in anger.

"I refuse to be home schooled. That would only lead to us moving, and I'm not doing that. I want to stay here with my friends and go on the trip. I'd be out of harms way by going to the states." Ulrich and Kiki nodded.

"It's true sir, we could ask the police in the U.S. to be on the lookout for that man if he does follow us. Yumi will always be with one of us because we'll be sharing a room and with all the teachers around, no one would dare try anything." The blonde said in Yumi's defense. The principal thought about her words for a minute then sighed.

"I think it would be a bit much for getting the U.S. police in on this whole thing, but we will hire extra guards to patrol the halls and look out for suspicious characters." Yumi's mother nodded, but her father huffed loudly.

"But what would happen if her attacker somehow got past the guards?" Her father retorted smartly, thinking he had won the fight. Kiki and Ulrich stood up at that and crossed their arms.

"Then they would have to deal with us. Besides, what are the chances that he would come with us undetected and get close to Yumi? I know I'm gonna be spending most of my trip with her and Kiki's pretty much gonna be by her side all the time anyway, so what could happen?" Ulrich's voice was strong and confident, taking Mr. Ishiyama back. Mrs. Ishiyama spoke up, defending the two teens' argument.

"Ulrich has a point dear. We could ask the airport police to help be on the lookout for strange people coming onto the plane, and after they left, who knows where they would be. The principal has the only schedule of events that will be done while they are in the states and where the route they'll be taking, so I don't see what could hurt. We can talk about what her school future will be when she gets back." Yumi's eyes lit up excitedly. She knew that her mom could always put up a better argument than anyone, and 9 times out of 10 she would win. Luckily this time, one of those 9 times was picked and Mrs. Ishiyama prevailed. Yumi ran up to her mom and hugged her as tight as she could. The principal received the paperwork from the policeman and got the number to the sheriff. Mr. Ishiyama stood up and walked out of the room, obviously upset that he lost his argument. Mrs. Ishiyama broke the hug and followed after her husband, planning on negotiation with him about Yumi's school future. Ulrich walked behind Yumi and gave her a comforting hug. For now, the world was right and no problems could bother the gang. Yumi got to stay, and each day was precious to them now. All their hopes and fears now rest on Mrs. Ishiyama's shoulders, but at least for now, everyone could rest. XANA was defeated, a big trip to the U.S. is coming up and lots more had to be done to prepare for it. Kiki walked towards the door and turned back around to Yumi and Ulrich.

"Hey guys, let's go back to the room. We still have a lot of packing to do. Remember, we leave tomorrow after breakfast." Ulrich turned around to Kiki.

"Yes mom, we're coming." Yumi nodded and walked up to Kiki.

"I have an idea. Let's go back to the others. Play along with me. It should be interesting." Ulrich looked quizzically at the raven-haired girl, but followed her and Kiki out back into Jeremie's room. Ulrich pulled ahead of the girls and went up to Jeremie's door, getting the others excited about the news. Kiki pulled Yumi to the side a little ways before they reached the door. She needed to talk, and now.

"Yumi. What happened back there….. none of my old friends back in the states would have ever done that and stood up to adults like that for me." Yumi smiled and placed a hand on Kiki's shoulder.

"Don't mention it. I know how it felt to be left out before I met the guys. There were so many kids at my old school back in Japan that there would always be someone else more important to defend. Just remember that, no matter what, you won't be judged here." A noise could be heard from Jeremie's room; most likely Ulrich getting jumped by Kiwi. A sly grin could now be found on Yumi's face, a mischievous plan obviously forming in her head. Kiki became curious.

"Yumi? What're you planning?" Yumi smiled wider and lowered her voice to a whisper.

"We scare the others with what happened to me." Kiki's eyes widened.

"Yumi, that's just evil. And right up my alley." Yumi grinned and looked towards the door where the others were.

"Ulrich knows already, so when we come in he's gonna be all sad for me. You run up to Odd and act all sad. If you can, work up some tears to make it more convincing. Then I'll take over from there and you and Ulrich'll play along." Kiki nodded solemnly, already trying to get into character.

In Jeremie's room……..

"Odd! Would you just lay off? Yumi will tell you when she gets here!" Ulrich said breaking the lock Odd had placed on him. He then grabbed Odd's arm and flipped him over his shoulder onto the bed. Odd's feet ended up where his head should've and his heels hit the wall hard. Odd winced from surpriseas he hit the wall. Kiwi jumped up on the bed and proceeded to lick Odd's face.

"Kiwi, stop! Down boy!" He said flipping himself upright. Jeremie sat at his computer desk and Aelita sat next to him on the edge of the bed. Just then, the door creaked open. All heads turned to see Kiki come in crying like a baby. Odd jumped up as the blonde ran into his arms.

"Kiki, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" He asked gently as Kiki continued to cry into his shoulder. As if on cue, Yumi entered the room, a single tear falling from her face. Aelita, Jeremie, and Odd all turned their heads to face her, worry now plaguing them. Ulrich walked over to Yumi and pulled her into a loving hug, as if to comfort her. Aelita couldn't stand the silence and spoke up eagerly.

"Yumi, what happened? What did they decide?" Yumi looked up at the others, barely able to keep a straight face. Ulrich spoke up for her with a grave tone in his voice.

"She was interrogated by police, the principal, and both her parents all at the same time. Well….." he broke off. Odd grew impatient and anxious for the answer.

"What? What's going to happen to Yumi?" Kiki looked at Odd, who looked back at her.

"Do you realize why she's crying?" Odd shook his head slowly and looked at her, puzzled. Yumi pulled away from Ulrich's embrace as a small smile appeared over her face.

"I'm crying because I'm happy." Aelita raised her eyebrow, confused about what Yumi was saying when she was clearly crying.

"So, you're happy that you're leaving us?" Now it was Yumi's turn to look confused. She shook her head and snickered a bit.

"I don't have to go anywhere. They're letting me stay for the trip. After I get back, we're going to discuss my future in school." An audible sigh could be heard from Odd, Jeremie, and Aelita as a wave of relief washed over them.

"That means we have to hurry and finish getting you packed Yumi!" Kiki said sporting a wide smile. Odd held onto Kiki though, restricting her from going anywhere.

"Odd let me go. I have to help Yumi pack."

"You had us all scared Kiki. I can't let you go now." He said and kissed her in front of everyone. Jeremie fake cringed. Odd broke the kiss and turned to Jeremie.

"It's okay Kiki, we can catch up tonight." He said in a much too playful voice. Jeremie's eyes widened and he turned towards the window.

"Bleh! I didn't want to know that." Kiki snickered.

"Well, if we ever hope to go on the trip, we need to pack. Our plane leaves after breakfast tomorrow. We need to be entirely ready for it." Ulrich nodded and saluted her.

"Ma'am, yes ma'am!" Kiki grabbed a pillow off Jeremie's bed and threw it at him.

"Okay, Sir Smart-off A Lot, we need to finish packing." Aelita, Kiki, and Yumi walked out towards Kiki's room, never suspecting that a pair of eyes was watching them from a safe distance.

"Be happy while you still can my young adversaries, because once you reach the States, you won't be coming back to tell of your adventures."

* * *

Yumigirl06: Who is this mysterious person? What do they have in store for the Lyoko gang? All this and more on the next chappie. But for now, I'll leave you with a nice little preview of the upcoming chapter.

Kiki watched on helplessly as the cloaked man began his attack on her friends. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't look away at the horrific sight before her.

Kiki: Hahahahahah! I'm evil…….

Odd, Ulrich, Yumi, Jeremie, Aelita: 0.0'……….. Kiki! What's gonna happen!

Kiki: Sorry, you'll just have to wait. I don't want to make you guys wait, since I already made you wait like 2 or 3 months, but I'm in desperate need of some purple marshmallows to go with my hot cocoa. Press that little purple button at the bottom and leave a comment. Flames will be used to warm my hot cocoa, but remember, constructive criticism is always the best way to go!

Odd, Ulrich, Yumi, Jeremie, Aelita: REVIEW! HURRY! WE WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!


	6. Reviewer Appreciation Chapter!

Yumigirl06: Well guys, I'm gonna take this time to thank the reviewers, because without you guys, I would have no honest comments about my writing. You're my reason for writing! Okay, here we go.

Trake: I'll try to update as soon as I can. School is evil here, and I'm busy most of the time. But I shall not lose hope that one day this thing will be done!

Aelita Lyoko the 2nd/Virtual Freak: Yeah, I like the action in the name of love style as well. I know. I wish I was Kiki too……. Wait……. I am Kiki……. Whoops….. oh! And I'll try to incorporate more fluff for everyone, not just a few people. Thanks for your reviews!

Yumi-Ishiyama: Thanks for your review! I hope you like this story as much as I like writing it!

Imagenation Queen: Yeah, I noticed that too. I tried to fix it, but it's not working. I've tried everything. Sorry.

UniqueWolfLover: Well, judging by the last chapter I'd say that answered your question? There will be more "conflicts" in these next few chapters, but you'll get to see that soon I hope.

Laughingcow: Same as UniqueWolfLover's answer I suppose.

Wind Rider 12: Yeah, I really struggled with that decision. I wanted to do both in some way, but I couldn't see how so I did the American way of choosing…… I flipped a coin.

Diamond-Halo: The secret lounge thing actually has an interesting story behind it. It's too long to share it here, but if you wanna find out the rest of the story you can go to my profile and look up my email address or AIM s/n.

MH: Thank you! I try to portray the characters as best as I can. I don't like it when it gets too OOC….. that doesn't make for a good story……

Hikaru: You're welcome for the description! It's based off of a real character. If you wanna see another version of my character in a picce, go check out Angel Soleil's profile and check out the homepage. The name's Echo.

Oh, BTW, everyone MUST go check out Angel Soleil's stories. They are the pimpest stories on the planet! Better than mine! Go read them! You'll be begging for more…..

Angel Soleil: Of course, I can't leave YOU out! Cause you're just…….. that………. awesome! Just a couple more weeks left……. -.-….. never do that again chica….. but we still have Yahoo cringe…….so if and when u get on, give me a IM! Luv ya like a fat man loves cake….. (no offense to anyone who finds that rude…… it's just an expression……)

Shadow929: Hope you forgive me for being so late in the updating department….

Allison: Don't be mad! I updated! See!

And last, but certainly not least……………

Big Harry Potter Fan: You're flippin awesome! You review all my stories. You seem to like them I hope!

Okay guys, I can't write anything else cause I have to go get ready for Solo and Ensemble Competition tomorrow…….. I hope I make a one…….. Hopefully I'll be able to think of some ideas during school, so I can stay up late and type them up…….. Okay guys and girls, bye!


	7. It's Only The Begining

Yumigirl06: Hey guys, OMG I'm sooooooo sorry for keeping you guys waiting……… school is really being evil, I haven't really been able to get on any form of internet, and even in college it's been difficult. I am sooooooo sorry. One thing I ask is that you tell me if I'm being evil for making you guys wait so long. It gives me more motivation to put up another chapter. So if you peeps could do that, it'd be real flippin sweet. Sorry, I'm on a Napoleon trip, so you'll have to excuse my Napoleon-ness that might come out……..

* * *

The cool evening breeze and warn golden sun began to set as the last day on campus ended. The Lyoko gang had already packed everything and set out their clothes for the morning so they wouldn't be late. Everyone in the group was anxious and nervous about the trip, so they released all their pent up energy having a hangout party. The other students going on the trip had apparently thought the same thing because there were noises coming from various rooms all throughout the hallway. Aelita sat on the bed in Kiki's room thinking about how fast the year seemed to fly by. It was almost the 1-year anniversary of Xana's defeat, an event that seemed to make the world of the Lyoko gang a much safer place. As she reminisced, she didn't hear the sound of Jeremie coming into the room. 

"Aelita? You okay? The party's going on and you're sitting here by yourself. Is everything alright?" He said as he pulled her into a warm embrace. Aelita smiled and leaned back into his hug.

"Everything's fine Jeremie. Just thinking about this past year."

"This year has been quite eventful, and in about 2 hours, it'll be the 1 year anniversary. Aren't you happy? He'll never be able to bother us or put anyone in danger again." Aelita nodded in agreement, but her mind was racing with worry.

"I don't know. Maybe it's just me being worrisome, but I just feel like something's wrong. I don't know what it is, but something just doesn't feel right." Jeremie knew never to take one of Aeilta's premonitions lightly, and started to think about what could be troubling her. The first thing that came to his mind was Xana as it always did, but he knew that couldn't be. He had watched Xana's life disappear and his card disappear on the screen. He had unplugged Lyoko himself. He knew it couldn't be true. He pulled Aelita closer to him and placed his head on her shoulder.

"Well, if anything does happen, we'll always be there for each other. I'll always be there for you, and I hope you for me." Aelita smirked and turned around to face him, placing a delicate kiss on his lips. They stayed that way for a few seconds, enjoying each other's presence through the kiss. Aelita pulled back an inch or two and smiled at Jeremie, who was as red as a beet. She stood up and headed to the door, Jeremie watching her the whole way.

"Thanks Jeremie, you know just how to make a girl forget about her problems." Jeremie blushed darker and watched her leave. Now it was his turn to brood about the recent events. Time flew by, and in no time Kiki and Yumi were entering their dorm with Aelita to get some sleep for tomorrow. The girls snickered when they watched Jeremie leave, tripping over everything in his way. Somehow Jeremie managed to make it to his room and fell on the bed, asleep as soon as he hit the pillow. Aelita and the girls stayed up late into the night talking about the events of the evening and how each one spent the day. They eventually fell asleep talking about how much fun this trip was going to be and how nothing could go wrong.

"Oh my god Aelita, do you realize what time it is!" Aelita looked groggily up at Yumi weirdly and shook her head.

"No Yumi, what time is it?" Yumi's eyes got even bigger.

"We're gonna miss breakfast and be late for roll call for the trip! We stayed up all night and forgot about the time!" She almost yelled as she struggled to pick up her bags to take them down. Aelita yelped and jumped up. She ran towards her bags and pulled them up hurriedly. As the girls were struggling to get their bags to the drop off point, the door opened. The girls stopped and just stared as Ulrich stood in the frame of the doorway. A small smile came across his face and a faint snickering could be heard and Odd came into the room from behind Ulrich.

"Need some help ladies?" Yumi and Aelita smiled and nodded their heads. The boys nodded and walked up to the bags, and with an audible grunt, pulled up the bags.

"Wow, what on earth do you have in here?" Ulrich asked, his voice straining a little bit. Yumi smiled slyly.

"Just the basics." Odd's eyes widened in shock.

"This is just the basics! Oh man, this just ain't right. Ulrich, how much did you pack?" Ulrich shrugged.

"Considerably less, I know that for sure. It still took a few bags to hold all my stuff though." Odd shook his head and started to walk out the door.

"Well, let's get this down to the truck so we don't get left behind." Odd said as he continued. Ulrich nodded and followed him out the door. Aelita and Yumi followed them and when they reached the cafeteria, they turned and went to get a quick breakfast. Kiki and Jeremie motioned for the girls to go sit by them and they gladly did. Within minutes of them sitting down, the bell rang for the students to go to class, which meant that was the bell for the people going on the trip to meet in the courtyard. The two late teens struggled to inhale their food and walked as they did so. Everyone met up with each other and they were loaded into buses by gender and age. Fortunately, by the time the last bus came to be called, there were only a handful of kids left to be placed in the bus. Because there would be a mixture on this bus, the boys sat on one side and the girls on the other. As if from a giant stroke of luck, the Lyoko gang managed to hide behind all the other kids just so they could get the co-ed bus. There was laughter, joking and a carefree atmosphere amongst the riders of the last bus. Most of the young teenagers were amazed at all the new sounds and sights before them at the airport. As the Lyoko gang pulled into the airport, they never would have guessed who was waiting for them there. He watched from the window of the third floor the movements of each member of the gang, seeing how much they've changed and how much they've grown. He pulled out a remote and pressed a button. Six mechanical mosquitoes flew out from the end of the remote and out towards the group via an air vent. The girls were laughing and talking amongst themselves as the boys got dollies for all the baggage. Three of the micro-sized machines flew to a different person, planning only on success. Each landed undetected upon their selected target and stuck a tiny needle into their skin and sucked to get a blood sample. Yumi came close to destroying her mosquito, but the little machine was too fast for her. Odd felt a hard bite to his neck and dropped the bags he was carrying so he could try and hit it, but before he could, it flew away.

"Darn mosquitoes. Always biting you when it's the worst time." Ulrich laughed at Odd's predicament, seeing as how bag after bag went flying in the air. While the gang was busy getting to the checkpoint for the group, the six mosquitoes came back with the blood sample for each of the six Lyokian warriors. One at a time, they began filling the remote with physical information for each character. Brain waves, strength meters, and even some strong past memories were entered into the computer, along with some extras like allergies and physical limitations or fears that the said person might have. The man looked up from his device to the gang and smiled coldly at them. He then turned on his heel and went to gate number 15, bound for Washington D.C.

* * *

Yumigirl06: Once again, I'm terribly sorry for making you guys wait so long, but high school is not easy at all this six weeks….. they're making us review for the stupid TAKS test everyday and I have U.I.L. for band in a few weeks so high school is transforming me into a drone………. I need to just not care like I did at the beginning, ya know? Oh well, I've wasted enough of your time, but if you even love my story a tiny tiny miniscule bit, can you review please? I really need the motivation and that is one way you can see more chapters faster. Sorry if it sounds like a threat, but it's not, so please review so I don't go into another 2 month withdrawal. 


	8. Joy Ride in a Plane

Yumigirl06: So yeah, summer's here… I'm having mega writer's block… hope you guys haven't given up on me, but if you have, I can understand. No long speeches, here ya go!

* * *

"What do you think we're gonna do once we get to America? I mean, there's so much we can do right?" Odd asked anxiously for the 6th time as the last of his bags were set down in the lobby by Gate 15. Kiki chuckled for the 6th time and answered him.

"There's too much to do in America, Odd. If the school's planning it like I think they are, we're not gonna get much rest. Especially if we're in Washington D.C. for our first stop." Yumi sighed as she sat down beside the two, clearly exhausted from carrying her bags.

"Why did our bus have to stop on the other side of the airport? I mean, it could've dropped us off right there." She said pointing to an entrance 2 floors down. Ulrich nodded as he sat down in a chair across fromYumi.

"Seriously though. But something I want to know is," Ulrich said lowering his voice and leaning towards the others. "who is that guy over there? He looks pretty suspicious if you ask me." Jeremy and Aelita, who had arrived just in time to hear the question Ulrich asked, looked along with the others at the man next to the entrance to the plane. He wore a black trench coat that went down to his feet. A matching black hat covered half his face, leaving only the tip of his nose and his lips, which were flat and emotionless under the shadow his hat cast upon them. He tried to hide a visible scar ran down across his lips past his chin with a short black goatee. Yumi, perplexed by the shape of the scar and curious as to how he had obtained it, continued to stare even after the others turned back around to continue their conversation about the trip. As the men shifted in his seat, Yumi could see more of his face. The scar started right below his right nostril. An image flashed through Yumi's mind.

Yumi followed up with running behind him and hitting him with one of her fans. She kept running past him, picking up her fans as she went. She can distinctly remember a fan from that battle hitting Xana in his face, because it had given her enough time to escape with Ulrich in the Dark Side if Lyoko.

'But, it can't be. Xana was destroyed; I saw the world get destroyed! He would have done something by now. I doubt Xana would have waited a whole year just so we could spot him in some fake disguise and beat him again.' Just as those last thoughts played in her mind, the man's head shot up, scaring Yumi and forcing her to look away suddenly, even though she knew that he knew she was staring at him. The slight gasp of distress caught Ulrich's attention immediately and he turned toward her.

"What's wrong Yumi?" She leaned in like she was going to sleep on his shoulder, but as she did so, she whispered to him.

"That guy we were talking about earlier; I think he might be connected to Xana somehow."

"You sure? I mean, if he is, he has to know by now that Xana's gone now."

"But what if he's out for revenge over his master? Chances are he's gonna be pretty sore at us for killing him."

"Don't worry, we'll be fine. People, police, and teachers surround us. He can't possibly do anything without attracting some kind of attention. We're safe. I bet we have it all wrong. He's probably just some guys who's going to the States like we are."

"I hope you're right Ulrich. I really hope you're right." Yumi sighed as she continued to rest on his shoulder; relaxing in the few moments she had before the intercom shook her to attention.

"Attention, Gate 15 bound for the United States is now boarding. Gate 15 bound for the United States is now boarding." Ulrich gently shook Yumi signaling their departure from the waiting area of the airport. The mysterious yet intimidating man was the first to respond to the announcement and was the first to enter the plane. After the half hour long wait in line, the gang finally made it to their seats comfortably. Everyone pulled out their electronic devices, ready to use them as soon as the attendant's gave the okay. After the announcements and various requests were asked of the passengers, a deep hum began to envelop the group. As the plane was taxied out to the runway, Yumi, Odd, Jeremie and Aelita were growing restless. Odd tried to play it cool, but failing miserably, latched on to Kiki, obviously nervous. The others kept their cool for the most part, except for Yumi who gave a slight yelp when the plane first lifted off the ground. 10 minutes later the Captain spoke over the intercom.

"Welcome passengers to Flight 554 heading for Washington D.C. At this time you may unfasten your seat belts if you wish to do so and walk around the cabin. In about 20 minutes I will ask you to be seated again so our attendants can pass out refreshments and snacks. Thank you." Various people began standing and walking to the restroom or getting items from the overhead compartments. Ulrich pulled out his CD player while Yumi brandished her own CD player. She glanced around and saw that Odd and Kiki had fallen asleep on each other's shoulders, and Aelita and Jeremy had begun a long discussion about American culture and what Aelita would be in store for. All seemed calm for the moment to her, but in the back of her mind she recognized that man from somewhere. She didn't know how or when, but something told her they had met before. She looked up several rows to the front where the man was sitting, still wrapped up in his black trench coat and hat that covered his eyes. To the passer by, it would seem as if the man was checking the schedule on his P.D.A., but a trained eye that was looking for it would have seen a screen with 6 names on it. As he chose one of the names, another window popped up that showed the basic name, age, height, weight and blood type. When he clicked the "next" button, another window appeared showing fears and superstitions that the said person has, and yet another window appeared after that showing specific psychological weaknesses and any medical conditions that the said person may have. It was a detailed report of each of the Lyokian warriors, and in the hands of a villain it would cause incalculable destruction to whomever the chosen target was. The man smiled as he pulled up the girl that was staring at him earlier.

"Yumi." He said quietly to himself.

"You may be one of the best teen fighters I know of, but it still won't save you. I will find you, and when I do, I will be the last person you ever see again. I know the weaknesses you posses, and I will exploit them to the utmost extent." He chuckled to himself as he turned off the P.D.A. and leaned back in the chair, resting so he could keep his strength up for his biggest challenge yet.


End file.
